Railroad-grossing



(No Model.)

C. E. BAKER.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

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CHARLES E. BAKER, OF BLOOMDALE, OHIO.

RAILROAD-feRosslNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,789, dated August 24, 1897.

'Application filed January 4, i897. Serial No. 617,983. (N0 model.)

To @ZZ whom, t 11m/y concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BAKER, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident off with any desired tracks diverging from the' same, whereby there is formed a continuous track in any desired direction.

A further object is to provide a turnjtable adaptableto be brought in coincidence With the main' or branch tracks by means of connections With a 'Windlass or drum which may be located at the target-house or at any convenient point with connections with a lever for unlocking the Windlass or drum audvalso the turn-table simultaneously to permit of revolving the turn-table.` A'

A further object is to provide for automat'- ically locking the turn-table in a iXed position and als'o'at the same time automatically locking the Windlass or drum from revolution, thereby insuring` perfect safety when the tracks of the turn-tableare in coincidence with the desired railroad-track.

In the drawings, Figure l is a View, partly in plan, showing the divergent rails, the turntable,'and also thebed connecting the turntable and the standard, the standard being in elevation.l Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on lines x x, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on liney ly, Fig. 1, showing the turntable lin elevation. Fig. et is an elevation of a portion of thestandard, showing the Windlass j ournaled thereon. of one of the adjustable arms in which the grooved idlers are journaled.

1 designates the bedplate,preferably cast in one piece with divergent rails 2 to coincide With the rails of the road-bed and an arched central portion 3, upon which the turn-table 4 rests. Turn-tablel is formedjvith a contour upon the under side. to seat upon the portion 3 of the bed and has two rails 5, adapted to be brought into coincidence With any desired rails 2 of the bed by revolving the turntable.

Fig. 5 is a detail view,

Centrally of the arched portion 3 is a circular opening 6, in which is journaled a shaft 7, having at its lower end a drum 8, grooved to receive cables 9 and having a plain circular portion 10, having a plurality of perforations 1l, the drum beingv housed properly Within a recess l2, formed in the under side of the bed-plate.

Shaft 7 is squared at its upper end, and the .turn-table is provided with a rectangular opening 13 to receive the squared end of the shaft, and the turntable is held to its seat by a nut 14, run upon theupper threaded end of the shaft. By this arrangement the drum and turn-table move in unison..

15 designates a housing from the bed-plate to anydesired pointV fromwhichI the turntable is to be operated, and from the housing is extended vertically a support 16 for a Windlass 17, journaled upon a shaft 18 and supported by a brace 19 at its outer end. Vound with one or more turns upon the windlass 17 is a cable 9, which, passing from the Windlass, contacts with idler-rollers 20, journaled in adjustable arms 21, secured in the support 16y and adjustable vertically by movability in slots 22 and horizontally by means of nuts 22, run upon the threaded end. By this provision tension may be put upon theeable in any1 required adjustment. 9 passes Within the housing 15 and is Wound upon drum 8 with one or more turns, as desired, whereby when the windlass is revolved the turn-table is tu'rned accordingly.

In order to insure perfect safety, it is necessary that the turn-table and Windlass shall Cable be locked from revolution when the turntable is adjusted to the desired tracks. l

l'have provided for a simultaneous release or locking of the windlass and turn-table by means of a lever 23, pivotally secured in a bifurcated standard 24:, attached to support 16 and movable in a keeper 25, secured to the standard. Attached to lever 23 is a cable cord or wire 2G, which is connected at its upper end with a locking-dog 27, comprising a spring-plate 2S, having a pintle 29 to enter perforations 30, circumferentially arranged in the side of Windlass 17, (the springplate normally urging the pintle forward,) whereby When the lever is pulled outward the cord or Wire pulls upon the spring-plate IOO and withdraws the pintle, thereby allowing of revolving the Windlass. There is also attached to lever a cable 3l, which is led over an idler S2 and connected at its opposite end with a locking-bolt 33, normally urged forward by a coiled spring 34 and adapted to enter one of the perforations 1l of drum S, thereby insuring a simultaneous release of the turn-table and spring-plate as the outward movement of leverZS rctraets the locking-bolt In order to compensate for Wear upon the tracks upon the turn-table and bed-plate, I prefer to cast the tracks of one thickness and supplementthe Wearing or bearing surface with cap-plates 35,formed with channels upon their under side to receive the rails.

IVith this amplified description the operation Will be apparent. The different rails may be' given a number and the perforations in the Windlass may be given a corresponding number. With this provision the operator desiring to form a continuous line with any track first moves lever 23 outwardly and at the same time the turn-table, When the Windlass is turned until the proper number of track is indicated upon the windlass as opposite the pintle of the plate-spring, and

as the pintle enters the perforation in the` Windlass the lockingbolt enters the proper perforation of the drum S, thereby simultaneously lookin g both the Windlass and turntable from revolution.

In `order to prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the crossing7 it is only necessary to lock lever 23.

While I have used the term cable, I may employ sprocket Wheels and chains or flexible portions to Wind upon the circular portions and intermediate rods or Wires.

1. In a railroad-crossing, a solid bed-plate formed with divergent rails and a central bearing, a turn-table mounted on the bearing, having rails, a shaft journaledin the bedi plate ixedly secured to the turntable, and

having a drum, with means for operating the drum from a location remote from the bedplate.

2. In a railroad-crossing,a bed-plate, a turntable, revolubly journaled thereon by means of a shaft, a drum upon the shaft, a windlass, and flexible connections with the windlass and drum, and means for simultaneously locking the Windlass and drum.

In a railroad-crossing,a bedplate, a shaft journaled therein, having a drum and locking-face at one end, a turn-table fixedly secured upon the opposite end of the shaft, a tieXible connection with the drum, means for exerting tension upon the flexible connections to revolve the drum and turn-table, and a locking-bolt to enter the locking-faee- 4. In a railroad-crossing,a bed-plate, a shaft journaled therein, having a drum and locking-face at one end, a turn-table ixedly secured upon the opposite end of the shaft, a windlass having a locking-face, exible connections with the Windlass and drum, locking mechanism adapted to secure the Windlass, and also the drum, and means for Withdrawing both locking.mechanisms.simultaneously.

5. In a railroad-crossing,a bed-plate formed With a central curved bearing and radiating rails, a shaft j ournaled centrally of the bearing, having a drum at its lower end, and a squared portion at its upper end, a turn-table formed with a lower face to iit the bearing7 and a squared orifice to receive the shaft, a threaded portion and nut to assemble the parts, and means connected with the drum for revolving the turn-table.

6. In a railroad-crossing, a drum, a Windlass, iiexible connections with the drum and Windlass, arms having idlers over which the iiexible connections pass, and mezms for adjusting the arms to regulate the tension of the flexible connections.

`7. In a railroad-crossing, a turn-table, a Windlass, HeXible connections with the 'turntable and windlass, a lever and locking mechanism connected with the turn-table and windlass, whereby a movement of the lever will actuate both simultaneously.

CHARLES E. BAKER.

Vitnesses: i

@HARLEY ULLERY, NAPOLEON B. SHUE. 

